Dr. David Wlody Honored for a Career of Service and Mentorship

By Office of the President | Sep 8, 2026

Congratulations to David J. Wlody, M.D., FASA, Professor of Anesthesiology, on receiving the 2025 Distinguished Service Award from the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists. Presented during the Society’s 79th Postgraduate Assembly in Anesthesiology, the award recognizes his service to patients, trainees, and the profession.

A Brooklyn native, Dr. Wlody attended Harvard College and earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont. He completed his anesthesiology residency and obstetric anesthesiology fellowship at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis before joining Downstate.

Dr. Wlody has served Downstate as Chair of Anesthesiology, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Official, and Residency Program Director. Across those roles, he helped guide clinical and educational programs while mentoring generations of physicians.

His leadership has extended throughout organized medicine. He has served as NYSSA District I Director, Chair of Government and Legal Affairs, General Chair of the Postgraduate Assembly, and New York Delegate to the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He was also President of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesiology and Perinatology and Chair of the ASA Annual Meeting Committee. Dr. Wlody’s public service has included work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the New York State Department of Health, and the New York State Board for Medicine.

An invited speaker at meetings around the world, Dr. Wlody has contributed to numerous publications and book chapters and helped develop questions for the American Board of Anesthesiology examination. His interests extend beyond medicine to music, art, and literature. His range of knowledge even earned him a spot as a contestant on Jeopardy in March 2007, where he finished second!

When asked what advice he would offer new anesthesiologists, Dr. Wlody emphasized lifelong learning and lifelong teaching. His point was that physicians teach students, residents, colleagues, patients, and families throughout their careers.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes more than professional achievement. It honors the steady leadership, mentorship, and willingness to serve that have defined Dr. Wlody’s career. We congratulate him on this recognition and thank him for his contributions to Downstate, anesthesiology, and the physicians he has helped prepare.